Coin counting and controlling apparatus



June 20, 1967 SHIKANOSUKE OCHI 3,325,223

COIN COUNTING AND CONTROLLING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 8 1966 INVENTOR m C O E K U S O N A m H 8 0m BY WM ill ATTORNEYS June 1967 SHIKANOSUKE OCHI 3,3 3

COIN COUNTING AND CONTROLLING APPARATUS I Filed July 8, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 G F v E" I 03 '& W 2' 3 S .D i t U .Q E

m INVENTOR SHIKANOSUKE OCHI BY M, QM MM ATTORNEYS June 1967 SHIKANOSUKE OCH! 3,326,223

COIN COUNTING AND CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed July 8. 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR SH IKANOSUKE OCHI lam/Mm M UM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,326,223 COKN COUNTING AND CONTROLLING APPARATUS Shikanosuke Ochi, Tokyo, Japan, assignor to Kabushiki Kaisha Sega Enterprises, Tokyo, Japan Filed July 8, 1966, Ser. No. 563,741 Claims priority, application Japan, July 24, 1965, 40/ 44,448 Claims. (Cl. 133-8) This invention relates to a coin counting and controlling apparatus which continuously counts coins one by one in an accurate and speedy manner and discharges any desired number of coins.

It is an object of the invention to provide a coin countin and controlling apparatus into which a supply of coins can be poured at random, and which will take coins from the supply and count them.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a device which will take coins from the supply of coins and dispense a preset number of coins while at the same time counting the number of coins dispensed.

The coin counting and controlling apparatus of the invention comprises a rotating disc which defines with the apparatus a gap having a dimension just slightly greater than the thickness of the coins to be handled. The disc is positioned below the opening in the bottom of a funnel'shaped coin container and rotates in one direction. An outer wall having the shape of a circular arc depends from the container and extends along the circumference of the disc. The end of the wall toward which the disc rotates extends tangentially of the circular arc, and a discharge driving plate is positioned adjacent said end of the wall. The discharge driving plate has claws at equal intervals along its circumference and is positioned so that the claws will move along an are which is tangent to said end of the wall.

Coins are taken from the container and moved along the surface of the disc under the effect of centrifugal force until they lie along the outer wall. They are moved along the outer wall by the rotation of the disc until they move along the tangential portion. They are then engaged by the claws on the discharge driving plate and moved out of the machine one by one.

The present invention is explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

'FIG. 1 is a plan view, partly broken away, showing an embodiment of the coin counting and controlling apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken on line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing securing, counting and controlling mechanisms; and

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of the circuit for counting coins and discharging any desired number of coins.

The funnel-shaped coin container 1 has a cylindrical side wall 1a, a conical bottom wall 1b converging downwardly from the lower edge of said side wall In, and base 10 extending in a radial direction from the lower edge of said conical bottom wall lb. Said base 10 has circular-arc shaped outer wall 2 projecting downwardly from and extending along the circumference thereof and one end 2a of the wall extends in a tangential direction to the circle along which the wall 2 lies. The peripheral edge of said base 1c is secured to a frame 3.

A rotating disc 4 is mounted on said frame 3 so as to rotate freely, leaving between it and the downwardly facing surface of base 1c of said funnel-shaped coin container a gap a (see FIG. 2) slightly larger than the thickness of the coins to be counted and so as to leave a gap 2) between the peripheral edge of disc 4 and said circularare outer wall 2 (see FIG. 1). Pulley 6, mounted on the shaft of motor 5 which in turn is mounted on frame 3, is connected to pulley 4a on the bottom of said rotating disc 4 by means of belt 7. Said rotating disc is rotated in the same direction as the tangential portion 2a of said outer wall 2 extends (counterclockwise in FIG. 1).

Bearings 8 and 9 are mounted on said frame 3 and rotating disc 4 respectively, and three conical projections 10 project from the upper surface of said rotating disc 4, each of which is spaced outwardly from the center of the disc 21 different distance.

A baffle plate 11, having approximately the same diameter as that of the opening 1d at the bottom of said funnel-shaped coin container 1, has four radially extending supports 12 therein spaced therearound at equal intervals and is set at a specific height above lower opening 1d of said funnel-shaped coin container 1, with the ends of said supports 12 resting on the inside of the walls of said conical member 1b.

Frame 3 has coin delivery table 13 on the same level as said revolving disc 4 and positioned between said tangential portion 2a and the other end 2b of said circulararc outer wall 2. Discharge driving plate 14 is mounted on frame 3 so as to rotate freely in a plane just above the coin delivery table 13 and with its circumferential portion 14a projecting between the end of tangential portion 2a and the other end 2b of the circular-arc outer wall. The lower surface of the circumferential portion 14a of said discharge driving plate 14 is brought at substantially the same level with that of said base 10, and pulley 15 is mounted on shaft 14b of said discharge driving plate 14. A crossed belt 16 is placed around pulley 4b on rotating disc 4 and the larger part 17a of a double-reduction pulley .17, while a belt 18 is placed around the smaller part 17b of said double-reduction pulley 17 and the pulley 15 on said discharge driving plate 14, thereby making it possible to rotate said discharge driving plate 14 in a direction opposite (clockwise in FIG. 1) to rotating disc 4 so as to move the circumferential portion 14a of said discharge driving plate 14 in the direction in which the tangential portion 2a of said circular-arc outer wall 2 extends.

The circumferential portion 14a of said discharge driving plate 14 has holes therein spaced at equal intervals. Claw members 19 are pivotally mounted on said discharge driving plate 14 and have claws 19a extending downwards into said holes 140 so that only a very small space is left between the ends of the claws and said coin delivery plate 13. Tension springs 21 are stretched between the ends 19b of said claw members 19 and a ring'2tl provided at the center of discharge plate 14, so as to urge said claw members 19 to rotate clockwise against discharge driving plate 14. As a result, coins moved in the direction of arrow X by the rotation of said rotating disc 4 are each held between adjacent claws 19 and delivered one by one. Even when friction between coins or between the coins and the coin delivery table 13 causes coins to move in a direction opposite to the direction X, said claws 19a rotate in a counterclockwise direction against springs 21, adjusting themselves to the resisting force, thus delivering coins in the direction of arrow X without undue strain and causing no damage to claw members 19 and discharge driving plate 14.

Moreover, said discharge driving plate 14 has a number of. projections 14d, corresponding'to the number of said. claw members 19, and arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential portion 14a thereof. As seen in FIG. 3, one end 2212 of a securing member 22 is mounted on frame 3 so as to move the frame in such a manner that tip 22a can be made to engage with and freely disengage from said projections 14d. Spring 23 is stretched between frame 3 and securing member 22 to keep tip 22a of said securing member 22 engaged with said projections 14d, and a solenoid 24 is positioned adjacent securing member 22. When current passes through winding 24a of said solenoid 24, securing member 22 moves against the force of said spring 23 to disengage tip 22a of said securing member 22 from said projections 14d, thereby leaving driving plate 14 free to rotate in the clockwise direction in FIGS. 1 and 3.

A guide member 25 is provided in the gap a formed between the lower surface of base 10 of said funnel-shaped coin container 1 and the upper surface of the rotating disc 4 and the coin delivery table 13, and is movable in both directions parallel to the length of said tangential portion 2a. Tip 25a on said guide member 25 has one side substantially parallel with said tangential portion 2a and has the other side in the shape of a circular-arc concentric with said rotating disc 4. A tension spring 27 is stretched between a projection 25c on an end portion 25b on said guide member 25 and shaft 26 (see FIG. 1) attached to frame 3 through a groove 25d which extends parallel to the direction of arrow X, so that said guide member 25 is always urged in a direction opposite to the direction of arrow X, As shown in FIG. 1, therefore, coins A, which are arranged irregularly in the circumferential direction in the groove formed by the inner circumferential surface of the circular-arc outer wall 2 and the downwardly facing surface of base 10 of the funnelshaped coin container and the upwardly facing surface of the rotating disc 4 are moved counterclockwise (in FIG. 1), and are separated, coins A in the outermost circumferential row being moved in a row in the tangential direction of arrow X, and the coins A at the inner part now being returned into said groove. When the coins A are separated, said guide member 25 can be moved backwards resiliently to ensure a very smooth separation.

Furthermore, a contact strip 28 is provided opposite the discharge driving plate 14, and has a tip 28a which is near the guide member 25. A spring 29 is mounted on frame 3 and is connected to contact strip 28 to force contact strip 28 to turn toward the discharge driving plate 14 (counterclockwise in FIGS. 1 and 3). Switch 30 is mounted on frame 3 in such a manner that it is closed by the end 28b of the contacting strip 28 when contacting strip 28 moves clockwise against the force of spring 29 when a coin A passes it. In this manner, every time a coin A from the row of coins moves past the tip 28a of contact strip 28, switch 30 is closed to generate a pulse, and, as shown in FIG. 4, energizes a preset coin counter 31 (any known coin counter) to cause it to count and memorize the number of coins which have been thus sensed and to make count indicator 32 indicate the number of coins which have been sensed. Said preset coin counter 31 is designed to cause any desired number of coins to be discharged from the coin counter. By closing switch 35 on lead wire 34 from power source 33, motor is energized to rotate disc 4, and solenoid winding 24a is energized to unblock discharge driving 14 and permit it to discharge coins A from the row of coins onto coin delivery table 13 one by one, and causing said count indicator 32 to indicate the number of coins discharged. When the desired number of coins has been discharged, the power circuit to said motor 5 and solenoid winding 24a is automatically cut off to stop the operation of motor 5 and instantaneously bring discharge driving plate 14 to a stop, so that any desired number of coins can be discharged.

With the apparatus constructed as described, a large number of coins is put in said funnel-shaped coin container 1, and when switch 35 is closed the coins are stirred by conical protrusions on rotating disc 4 and are moved in the radial direction under the action of centrifugal force. A row of coins A are gently led into the groove formed by the lower surface of base 1c of said funnelshaped coin container and the upper surface of said revolving disc, The coins in the outermost part are continuously led in a row onto coin delivery plate 13, moving in the direction of arrow X along the tangential portion 2a of the circular-arc outer wall 2. Individual coins are held one at a time between adjacent claws 19a on discharge driving plate 14 that rotates on said coin delivery table 13 in the direction of the flow of coins A, and are discharged one by one in succession. The number of coins A can be counted correctly and indicated on count indicator 32 by the action of switch 30 intermittently closed by contact strip 28 that is moved every time it is contacted by passing coins. It is also possible to have the desired number of coins counted and discharged correctly and speedily by setting preset coin counter 31 at that number and causing discharge driving plate 14 to stop simultaneously with the discharge of that number of coins.

Furthermore, the provision of the conical baflle plate 11 which is smaller than the inside diameter of the funnel-shaped coin container 1 at a specific height above the lower opening 1d of said coin container insures that no matter how high coins may be piled up, coins above said baffle plate 11 are supported by it and coins on said rotating disc 4 are subjected to a substantially constant pres sure of coins below said bafile plate 11 so that they are given a smooth anti-vortex motion in a radial direction outwardly from the center thereof. Coins on the baflle plate 11 will fall successively from around the circumferential edge thereof. Accordingly, a large number of coins can be counted at one time.

When coins on the rotating disc 4 are successively discharged, by said anti-vortex motion, through the groove defined by the inner circumferential surface of said circular-arc outer wall 2 and the upper surface of said rotating disc 4, it sometimes occurs that coins stand upright and side-by-side on the lower end surface of said funnelshaped coin container and are unable to move into the gap on the rotating disc. According to the present invention, coins on said rotating disc 4 are constantly stirred and laid flat by the projections 10 irregularly spaced on the upper surface of the disc.

It is thought that the invention and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it is apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for counting coins, comprising a coin container having an inverted conical inside bottom surface having a lower opening therein, a laterally extending substantially horizontal base on the bottom of said coin container, a rotating disc mounted rotatably below said coin container substantially concentric with said lower opening, and spaced from said base a distance only slightly greater than the thickness of the coins to be counted, a wall depending from said base and having a circular-arc shape and extending along the periphery of said rotating disc, said wall having a gap therein, one end of the wall adjacent said gap extending tangentially of the circular are along which the remainder of said wall lies, a coin delivery table in said gap on a level with the upper surface of said disc, a coin discharge driving plate rotatably mounted on said coin delivery table and having the periphery thereof on the tangent along which said one end of said wall extends, claws on said coin discharge driving plate spaced along the circumference thereof at distances substantially equal to the size of the coins being counted, and drive means coupled to said rotating disc and said coin discharge driving plate for rotating them simultaneously.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said coin container includes a conical baffle plate having about the same diameter as said lower opening and positioned in said container above said lower opening with the apex thereof pointing upwardly.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said rotating disc has projections on the upper surface thereof at different distances from the center thereof and spaced from each other in the circumferential direction of said disc.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising counting means adjacent said discharge driving plate and actuated by each coin which is moved by said discharge driving plate.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 further comprising stop means engageable with said coin discharge driving plate for stopping the rotation of said plate and blocking further rotation thereof, and control means coupled to said counting means, said driving means and said stop means for controlling the actions of said means to unblock said driving plate and energize said driving References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 793,562 6/1905 Broga 133-3 1,382,050 6/1921 Baur 133-8 1,894,190 l/l933 Myers 1338 X 2,155,982 4/1939 Seemel 1338 2,881,975 4/1959 Bower 1338 X 2,906,276 9/1959 Blanchette et al 1333 3,250,364 5/1966 Greenwald et al 1338 X FOREIGN PATENTS 45,694 9/ 1919 Sweden.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR COUNTING COINS, COMPRISING A COIN CONTAINER HAVING AN INVERTED CONICAL INSIDE BOTTOM SURFACE HAVING A LOWER OPENING THEREIN, A LATERALLY EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL BASE ON THE BOTTOM OF SAID COIN CONTAINER, A ROTATING DISC MOUNTED ROTATABLY BELOW SAID COIN CONTAINER SUBSTANTIALLY CONCENTRIC WITH SAID LOWER OPENING, AND SPACED FROM SAID BASE A DISTANCE ONLY SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE THICKNESS OF THE COINS TO BE COUNTED, A WALL DEPENDING FROM SAID BASE AND HAVING A CIRCULAR-ARC SHAPE AND EXTENDING ALONG THE PERIPHERY OF SAID ROTATING DISC, SAID WALL HAVING A GAP THEREIN, ONE END OF THE WALL ADJACENT SAID GAP EXTENDING TANGENTIALLY OF THE CIRCULAR ARC ALONG WHICH THE REMAINDER OF SAID WALL LIES, A COIN DELIVERY TABLE IN SAID GAP ON A LEVEL WITH THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID DISC, A COIN DISCHARGE DRIVING PLATE ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID COIN DELIVERY TABLE AND HAVING THE PERIPHERY THEREOF ON THE TANGENT ALONG WHICH SAID ONE END OF SAID WALL EXTENDS, CLAWS ON SAID COIN DISCHARGE DRIVING PLATE SPACED ALONG THE CIRCUMFERENCE THEREOF AT DISTANCES SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE SIZE OF THE COINS BEING COUNTED, AND DRIVE MEANS COUPLED TO SAID ROTATING DISC AND SAID COIN DISCHARGE DRIVING PLATE FOR ROTATING THEM SIMULTANEOUSLY. 